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bev_reads_mysteries's review
5.0
Having been a bit disappointed with Prisoner of the Ant People (CYOA #25). I decide to go back to the book that first introduced me to the series and which was always my favorite: The Mystery of Chimney Rock (#5) by Edward Packard. I wanted to see if it still held up nearly 40 years later (has it really been that long?!). I checked this out of the library and fell in love with the idea of choosing my own fate in the stories I was reading. I wound up buying a copy of my very own just to have ('cause that's what I do with books I love) and foisted it upon my son in the hopes that he'd fall in love with them too. So, what's the verdict?
Chimney Rock finds you visiting your cousins, Jane and Michael, in Connecticut. Nearby is a huge stone house with turrets, walled terraces, and a square tower that looks like a chimney. Windows are boarded up and vines and bushes are growing all over. Your cousins tell you that Chimney Rock (for that's the name of the house) is rumored to be cursed and that people who have gone in have never come out. When you scoff at the idea that Mrs. Bigley, the last owner, died and put a spell of some sort on the house so her cat could live there without anyone bothering it, your cousins dare you to go in the house. Your first decision--do you take the dare or not? Depending on your choices you might fall under the curse, lift the curse, become the heir to a fortune, lose a cousin or two along the way, or never be seen again.
Packard maintains his primary story while offering the reader multiple endings--both good and bad. There is a grand feeling of suspense and mystery and, despite being several years older, I found myself wrapped up in the mystery just as much as when I was young. I definitely would recommend this series to young readers looking for a bit of adventure--particularly the earlier offerings. ★★★★★ when I was young and ★★★★★ now.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Chimney Rock finds you visiting your cousins, Jane and Michael, in Connecticut. Nearby is a huge stone house with turrets, walled terraces, and a square tower that looks like a chimney. Windows are boarded up and vines and bushes are growing all over. Your cousins tell you that Chimney Rock (for that's the name of the house) is rumored to be cursed and that people who have gone in have never come out. When you scoff at the idea that Mrs. Bigley, the last owner, died and put a spell of some sort on the house so her cat could live there without anyone bothering it, your cousins dare you to go in the house. Your first decision--do you take the dare or not? Depending on your choices you might fall under the curse, lift the curse, become the heir to a fortune, lose a cousin or two along the way, or never be seen again.
Packard maintains his primary story while offering the reader multiple endings--both good and bad. There is a grand feeling of suspense and mystery and, despite being several years older, I found myself wrapped up in the mystery just as much as when I was young. I definitely would recommend this series to young readers looking for a bit of adventure--particularly the earlier offerings. ★★★★★ when I was young and ★★★★★ now.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
nday's review
3.0
Book 5 from the Choose Your Own Adventure series. This was a lot of fun, I died a few times on my way to the end. Quick read, but I enjoyed the story.
vimesbootstheory's review
1.0
It’s almost a short story, but it’s not a particularly good one, it’s just a fun toy for kids. A maze to occupy your brains for a couple minutes. In my canon ending, I ended up getting stuck picking up pieces of cat sculpture for eternity. No real explanation for this, it’s just what happened.
bookgirl01's review
3.0
Some plot lines fizzle out, while others go on far too long. It's not my favorite in the series, but a worthy addition. I love this series so much (hello, childhood) that I can look past its imperfections.
apostrophen's review
4.0
I read these when I was nine/ten years old, voraciously devouring them and re-reading them over and over. My grade five teacher saw how much I loved them, and brought a "how-to" book to give to me, and I remember writing one of my own. It was probably terrible. Still, these books were one of my gateway books to reading non-stop for most of my childhood.
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